When handled correctly, whistleblower cases can prevent fraud from occurring against the government, help make things right, and even compensate the whistleblower. However, too often these cases fall apart simply because mistakes are made during the process. This is largely because state and federal whistleblower laws are complicated. If you…
Qui tam lawsuits are brought by individuals, known as whistleblowers, against a company that defrauded the United States government. Whistleblowers do receive compensation for alerting the government of the fraud, but this is not the motivation behind most qui tam lawsuits. Whistleblowers feel a moral obligation to report the company…
Nearly every lawsuit or legal action has a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations is the time limit within which the plaintiff, or person filing the lawsuit, can file a claim. Personal injury lawsuits in California have a statute of limitations of two years. Even criminal cases have a…
As a whistleblower who has filed a qui tam case, your goal is to convince the government to prosecute your case. However, this is usually not an easy task. In fact, there are many situations in which the government may choose to dismiss your False Claims Act (“FCA”) claim, and…
In general, if you want to file a lawsuit against another person or entity, you have the option of going at it alone (pro se) or hiring an attorney to represent you. While pursuing a lawsuit pro se may not be the wisest in all situations, some people still choose…
While most individuals have the opportunity to bring a qui tam whistleblower suit for any violation of the False Claims Act, there are certain exceptions to who may bring a qui tam whistleblower suit and the conditions of the suit. The following are five instances that, if applicable to you,…
On July 24, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced that Celgene Corp., a pharmaceutical manufacturer headquartered in New Jersey, will pay $280 million to numerous states and the federal government to settle claims that it submitted false claims to the federal government and state health…
Qui tam claims are lawsuits filed by private citizens on behalf of the federal government based on allegations that someone violated the False Claims Act (FCA) or another federal statute. Most of the time these types of claims are brought by employees, or ex-employees, who were able to gather evidence…
When someone identifies an act of health care fraud, it is important that they speak up. However, under the False Claims Act (FCA) the ways in which they speak up are limited by Federal law. A recent Supreme Court ruling on qui tam lawsuits arising under the FCA will have…